Sprinkler



A. C. MISCH Dec. 23, 1952 SPRINKLER Filed NOV. 9, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET lINVENTOR.

JTTOEA/AFYS,

A. C. MISCH Dec. 23, 1952 SPRINKLER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Nov. 9, 1949INVENTOR.

m m. M .C E u m fl 17702 NE T5- Patented Dec. 23, 1952 SPRINKLER ArthurC. Misch, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Misch Manufacturing Company,Mishawaka,

Ind., a copartnership Application November 9, 1949, Serial No. 126,372

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sprinklers, and particularlysprinklers for home use in sprinkling lawns and gardens.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel sprinklerconstruction, by means of which a fiuid chemical treating material canbe entrained in the water passing through the sprinkler.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having anovel, simple and inexpensive construction, which is easily assembled,and which can be adjusted for different operating conditions.

A further object is to provide a device of this character with means forintroducing chemical treating materials, such as fertilizers, weedkillers or insecticides, into the stream of water passing through thedevice in a regulated quantity or at a regulated rate which can beadjusted quickly and easily.

A further object is to provide a unitary device for introducing liquidin small quantities into a water stream, which device can be installedin a waterline to be used with a hand nozzle for hand sprinkling, andwhich can be employed with a lawn sprinkler having a supporting base andwater reactance rotating discharge mechanism.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View of the device in side elevation with parts shown insection.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the entraining unit of the device.

Fig. 4 is a side view illustrating the entraining unit used inconjunction with a hand sprinkling nozzle.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the numeral I designates the base of a lawn sprinkler,said base being shown in the form of a substantially circularly bent barof heavy material lying in a horizontal plane, as illustratedv inFig. 1. A conduit I2 extends radially of the base I0 and is securedthereto at I4, as by welding. The conduit I2 will be formed of metal andis bent at I6 so that one end portion IB thereof extends upright, beingpositioned centrally relative to the base III. The opposite end of theconduit I2 projects outwardly beyond the base Ill and mounts a fittingor connector member 20, here illustrated as a female connector, which isadapted for screw-threaded connection with a male connector 22 mountedupon the end of a flexible garden hose 24 in the manner well understoodin the art. The upright end portion I8 of the conduit I2 is preferablyscrew-threaded and, as illustrated in Fig. 1, may mount thereon a collarmember 26.

The conduit I2 is adapted to feed water to a water-distributingmechanism preferably of the rotating water reactance type. Suchmechanism is illustrated herein as constituting a conduit 28 mounting atits lower end a flanged fitting 30, upon which rotates the femaleconnector member 32. This connector member 32 is preferably adapted tofit upon the collar member 26. The upper end of the conduit 28 rotatablymounts a head 34 from which laterally project two or more conduits 36whose inner ends are in communication with the bore of the conduit 28through suitable apertures in the head 34, as is well understood in theart. The arms 36 are bent at 38 and each mounts an apertured cap orclosure member 40 at its outer end. The closure members 40 are providedwith a plurality of apertures 42 for the discharge of water in a finelydistributed form therethrough.

It will be apparent that, when the water-distributing mechanism,including the parts 28-42, inclusive, is connected to the base by thescrewthreaded connection of the connector part 32 upon the collar 26,the device comprises a conventional lawn sprinkler of the waterreactance type. In other words, as water is fed to the device from thehose or conduit 24, it passes through the conduits I2 and 28 to thelaterally extending arms 36 and through the apertures 42, the reactionof the water in passing through said bent arms 36 and discharging at anangle being such as to cause rotation of said arms and head 34 relativeto the conduit 28.

I have provided a novel attachment by means of which this sprinkler, orany other sprinkler in which a connection is provided for separating itsbase from its discharge head, may be adapted for discharge of chemicaltreating material, such as liquid fertilizer, weed killer orinsecticide. This mechanism comprises a container 44 for the treatingmaterial which is to be interposed in the sprinkler as illustrated inFig. 1. The container 44 has a base 46 from which a projection 43depends, said base and projection having a central aperture therein andthe projection 48 being internally screw-threaded for connection withthe collar 26. The bore of the projection 48 and base 46 is formed ofdifferent diameters along its length, there being a restricted diameterportion 50 intermediate its ends, the same providing a shoulder at itsouter end against which a sealing gasket 52 may bear to be compressedbetween said shoulder and the end of the collar The restricted diameterbore portion 50 is preferably screw-threaded and receives thescrew-threaded end portion E i of a sleeve having an enlarged fiange 56bearing against the upper end of the restriction 50 and having a reduceddimension upper end portion 58.

A rigid conduit 89 is screw-threaded in the upper portion of the bore atthe base of the container and preferably bears upon the flange 55. Thebore of the conduit 68 is of a larger diameter than the externaldiameter of the reduced upper sleeve portion 523, and, inasmuch as saidparts are concentric, there is a slight circumferential clearancetherebetween, said portion 53 extending into the conduit 60 for aportion of its length. The upper end of the conduit 68 has ascrew-threaded portion 62 which is adapted for a screw-threadedconnection with the rotatable connector 32.

The base 38 of the container is preferably provided with acircumferential flange and a cylindrical member formed of glass, plasticor any other suitable material, preferably transparent, is mounted uponthe base, fitting snugly within the flange 6t and being connected withthe parts 4-6, 6 2 in any suitable manner to provide a leakprooi jointtherebetween. This leakproof joint may be provided by gaskets or by theuse of a bonding agent or cement. A cover 68 spans the upper end of thecylindrical wall portion of the container and is preferably providedwith a downturned flange 1!) which encircles the cylindrical wall 66.The cover 52. has a detachable and rotatable fit upon the cylindricalwall 65 of the container.

The container cover 88 has a central aperture therein in which isfixedly secured by welding,

soldering, press fit, a screw fit, or any other suitable means, aconduit I2 whose bore is of a diameter to iit snugly but rotatablyaround the conduit to. The conduit E2 is of such a length that when thecover 68 bears upon the upper edge of the cylindrical wall (it of thecontainer, the lower end of the conduit 63 will bear upon the uppersurface of the bottom 36 of the container. The lower end of the conduit52 has a notch or cut-out 74 formed therein for a portion only of itscircumference. One or more apertures 16 are formed in the conduit 65just above the level of the upper surface of the bottom :26 of thecontainer and below the upper end of sleeve 58,

each being of restricted size in the nature or" a pinhole. Where morethan one aperture '56 is provided, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the sameare preferably arranged in spaced relation circumferentially. Thus, ashere illustrated in Fig. 3, two apertures are formed side by sideimmediately above the level of the upper surface of the bottom 46 of thecontainer. The notch T4 is preferably made of a size such that it willopen all of the apertures i6 into communication with the container 44when the conduit 1?. is properly rotatively positioned or adjusted. Thenumber of apertures 15 is illustrative and it will be understood thatany number desired may be employed. The conduit 72, being fixedlyconnected with the cover 68, may be rotated therewith and, when sorotated, provides a valve which opens one or more of the apertures 76into communication with the container 44. The adjustment may beregulated as illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein a plurality of radial marks:8 are provided upon the cover 68, and a mark 89 is provided upon theportion of the conduit 60 projecting above the cover 58. It will beapparent that as the cover $3 is rotated, the marks 78 will be shiftedrelative to the mark 8!}. These marks may be so correlated with theposition of the apertures it that they will serve to indicate th extentto which the valve 12, i l, "i6 is opened. In other words, assuming thattwo apertures are provided as illustrated, when the central mark 78registers with the mark 86, this will indicate that the notch id is sopositioned that it has opened both of the apertures 16 intocommunication with the container 46. In the event one of the other.iarrs registers with the line 88, this will constitute a designationthat one only of the apertures "i5 is in communication with thecontainer. A positioning of the cover such that the segment of the coverbearin the marks 78 is circumferentially oilset from the mark 81'),designates that the container it is sealed and is out of communicationwith the apertures '16. For the purpose of filling the container 54, andalso for facilitating the free flow or discharge of fluid materialtherefrom, the container cover 63 may be provided with an aperture 82.

In the operation of the device, assuming that the chemical treatingmaterial, such as fertilizer, weed killer or insecticide, which isintroduced into the container 4 is in liquid form or condition, it isfree to flow through the aperture or apertures it which are open intocommunication therewith, for the purpose of entering the conduit 53 andthe stream of water passing therethrough. The flow of the chemical fromthe container Mi is strictly by gravity and, as the chemical isdischarged through the apertures 16, it is picked up by the flow ofwater, and, in passage through the remainder of the device, includingthe rotating head 34, arms 36, sprinkler heads it 42, the smallquantities of chemical are quite thoroughly mixed in the water stream.This insures uniform distribution of the chemically treated water overthe area being sprinled. In many cases the degree of concentration ofthe fertilizer must be controlled quite accurately, and for this purposethe device is constructed with a plurality of very small openings orpinholes 16, the number of which are open to the container may beregulated at will. Thus the device is particularly suitable for use, notonly in entraining the chemical treating material into the water stream,but also for regulating easily, quickly and conveniently the rate ofdischarge of the chemical treating material. The valve provides furtherfor a complete shut-off preventing any discharge of the chemicaltreating material, if that is desired.

The device, having screw-threaded connections at its ends 48, 62, iseasily applied to and removed from the sprinkler. This also facilitatesits insertion into the waterline which is used for and is used inconjunction with a hand sprinkler. An illustration of such a use iscontained in Fig. 4. In this figure the container unit M has beenconnected at its projection 48 with the male coupling member 22 carriedby the end of a flexible garden hose 24. The projecting end port-ion ofthe conduit 60 of the device is connected directly to an elbow 84 whichpreferably has a female coupling member 86 for screw-threaded connectionwith the threaded end 62 of the unit The elbow 84 in turn preferablymounts a hand-held sprinkling nozzle 38. The elbow 8-; will preferablybe a rigid L so that when the nozzle 83,

which is Many desired construction, is held in a normal position forsprinkling, the elbow will accommodate the positioning of the unit 44with its axis vertical. This construction is particularly well suitedfor the application of weed killer and insecticide materials which areto be applied in low concentration and in small quantities, usually witha very fine spray. The use of a hand nozzle permits the directing of thespray at the target so as to prevent discharge of spray upon plantswhich might be damaged thereby.

The use of the device for hand sprinkling purposes is not limited to thearrangement illustrated in Fig. 4. Another arrangement which will permitthe use of the device is one wherein the arrangement illustrated in Fig.1 is employed, the rotatable sprinkler head consisting of the parts28-42, inclusive, being omitted, and in their place there being attachedby a detachable coupler similar to the coupler 32, a flexible gardenhose or conduit of the character Well understood in the art, which maybe of any length found suitable. At the end of this flexible garden hoseis attached a spray nozzle. This form of the device possesses all of theadvantages of the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4, and, additionally,possesses the advantage that it is not necessary for the user of thedevice to hold the weight of the unit 44 in addition to the weight ofthe nozzle and of the portion of the hose adjacent the nozzle. When itis borne in mind that one of the uses of the device is the applicationof insecticide material and that it may be desired to apply the same totall plants, such as climbing rose bushes, tall evergreens, and thelike, it will be apparent that the hose nozzle may, in many instances,have to be held at a high elevation, for example, over the users head,in which event that portion of the hose which must be supported by theuser increases over normal usage where the nozzle is held while the armof the user is positioned freely at his side. If, in addition to thatincreased weight of hose, there is the necessity also to carry theweight of the unit 44 and the liquid contents thereof, the weight isincreased further. By attaching a flexible section of hose to the outletof the unit 44 while the same is mounted upon the base structure asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be apparent that the weightrequired to be supported by the user is held at a minimum, and at thesame time all of the advantages of the device are retained.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described andillustrated herein, it will be understood that changes in theconstruction may be made within the scope of the appended claims withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A lawn sprinkler comprising a base, a substantially upright conduit,a head journaled on the upper end of said conduit, conduit projectinglaterally from said head and terminating in restricted outlet openings,said lateral conduits being bent intermediate their ends, a containercarried by and encircling a portion of said upright conduit, and havingan aperture in its top open to atmosphere, said upright conduit having arestricted aperture communicating with the lower portion of saidcontainer, for flow of container content into said tube by gravity, asleeve encircling the apertured portion of said upright conduit andhaving a notch selectively registerable with said aperture and means forrotating said sleeve.

6 2. A lawn sprinkler comprising a base, a substantially uprightconduit, a head journaled on the upper end of said conduit, conduitsprojecting laterally from said head and terminating in restricted outletopenings, said lateral conduits being bent intermediate their ends, acontainer carried by and encircling a portion of said upright conduit,and having an air inlet aperture at its upper part open to atmosphere,said upright conduit having a restricted aperture communicating with thelower portion of said container for gravity flow of container-contentstherethrough, said container having a rotatable cover, and a sleevefixedly carried by said cover and encircling said upright conduit, saidsleeve having an opening adapted to register with,

said aperture.

3. A device adapted to be interposed in a fluid line, comprising acontainer having a base and a cover, a coupling member carried by saidbase, a conduit carried by said base and extending through saidcontainer and cover, said conduit having a threaded upper portionprojecting above said container and a restricted aperture communicatingwith the lower portion of said container, said cover having an air inletaperture open to atmosphere, said base having an aperture providingcommunication between the lower end of said conduit and said couplingmember, and a sleeve rotatably encircling said conduit and extendingfull length of said container and having an opening adapted to registerwith said aperture.

4. A device adapted to be interposed in a fluid line, comprising acontainer having a base and a cover, a coupling member carried by saidbase, a conduit carried by said base and extending through saidcontainer and cover, said conduit having a threaded upper portionprojecting above said container and a restricted aperture communicatingwith the lower portion of said container, said cover having an air inletaperture open to atmosphere, said base having an aperture providingcommunication between the lower end of said conduit and said couplingmember, a cover rotatable on said container, a sleeve fixedly carried bysaid cover and snugly encircling said conduit substantially full lengthof said container, said sleeve having an opening adapted to registerwith said aperture and a second sleeve carried by said base andextending into said conduit with clearance and to a height spaced abovesaid restricted aperture.

5. A device adapted to be interposed in a fluid line comprising acontainer having an air inlet at its top open to atmosphere, a verticalconduit carried by and extending centrally through said container andopen at its ends, one end of said conduit projecting from said containerand being screw-threaded, a connector carried by said container adjacentto and in communication with the opposite end of said conduit, saidconduit having a plurality of circumferentially spaced restrictedapertures communicating with the lower portion of said container, and aclosure rotatably carried by said conduit to selectively span and closesaid apertures.

6. A device adapted to be connected in a fluid line, comprising acontainer having an air inlet at its top open to atmosphere, a conduitcarried by and extending vertically through said container and open atits ends, one end of said conduit projecting from said container andbeing screw-threaded, a connector carried by said container adjacent toand in communication with the opposite end of said conduit, said conduithaving a plurality of circumferentially spaced restricted aperturescommunicating with the lower portion of said container, and a manuallymanipulable sleeve rotatably encircling said conduit with a snug fit andhaving an opening of a circumferential extent equal to thecircumferential spacing of the outermost conduit apertures and a portioncircumferentially aligned with said opening and adapted to span andclose said apertures.

7. A device adapted to be connected in a fluid line, comprising acontainer having an air inlet at its top open to atmosphere, a conduitcarried by and extending vertically through said container and open atits ends, one end of said conduit projecting from said container andbeing screw-threaded, a connector carried by said container adjacent toand in communication with the opposite end of said conduit, said conduithaving a plurality of circumferentially spaced restricted aperturesdisplaced less than 180 degrees and communicating with the lower portionof said container, a sleeve rotatably encircling said conduit with asnug fit and having an Opening of a circumferential extent equal to thecircum- 8 ferential spacing of the outermost conduit aper tures and lessthan 180 degrees, and a cover rotatable on said container and fixedlymounting said sleeve, said cover and conduit having cooperating exteriormarks so located as to indicate the rotative relation of said sleeveopening to said conduit apertures.

ARTHUR C. MISCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,167,994 Hall Jan. 11, 19161,758,761 Quila May 13, 1930 1,763,236 Hahn, J1 June 10, 1930 1,767,072Honn June 24, 1930 1,847,406 McArdle Mar. 1, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 268,440 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1927 653,035 Germany Nov. 12,1937

